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Biology vocabulary · Animal Biology and Physiology

Neuron

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˈnʊrɑːn/nounCommon term

In biology, neuron means: A nerve cell that carries information as electrical and chemical signals. It has dendrites that receive signals and an axon that passes them on.

In Turkish: nöron, sinir hücresi

How it is used

Neurons communicate across small gaps called synapses using neurotransmitters. The main types are sensory neurons, motor neurons and interneurons. British texts sometimes spell it neurone. The adjective is neuronal.

Example sentences

  1. A motor neuron carries signals from the spinal cord to a muscle.

  2. When a neuron fires, an electrical signal travels along its axon.

Common collocations

  • sensory neuron
  • motor neuron
  • neuron fires
  • neuronal activity
  • hormoneA chemical messenger made in one part of an organism and carried, often in the blood, to target cells elsewhere, where it changes their activity.
  • homeostasisThe ability of an organism or cell to keep its internal conditions, such as temperature, water balance and blood sugar, stable while the outside world changes.
  • vertebrateAn animal with a backbone made of vertebrae, such as a fish, amphibian, reptile, bird or mammal.
  • cellThe smallest unit of life that can survive on its own. Every living thing is made of one or more cells, and each cell is surrounded by a membrane.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Animal Biology and Physiology

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